*NOW UPDATED WITH VIDEO* Toyota Australia reveals an 86 Shooting Brake concept it would ‘love to become a production reality’
[Not a valid template]
“Our creative minds are always wandering, and I would love this concept to become a production reality” explains Toyota Australia’s design chief Nicolas Hogios, referring to the Shooting Brake Toyota 86 concept the team has just dropped.
The secret ‘passion project’ actually started out life as a series of photo-chops and computer generated imagery before finally being brought to mini-fruition as a one quarter clay scale model when Toyota 86 global chief engineer Tetsuya Tada visited the Australian team in late 2014. Now, 86 fans will probably already know how protective Tada is of the 86, multiple calls for that 197bhp power figure to increase having been repeatedly shot down in flames. But so impressed was Tada with the shooting brake though that Toyota’s Sports Car Division in Japan began developing a full-sized conceptual version shortly after.
So, does that mean Toyota has updated the mechanics of the 86 as well? Sadly no, the 86 Shooting Brake Concept carrying the same 2-litre boxer four-cylinder as its coupe alter-ego, plus the same 197bhp and 151lb ft figures. Suspension settings and the six-speed transmission remain unchanged too, as does the design at the front, though the new wagon-style roofline and increased cabin space are the most notable aesthetics tweaks. Consequently, as well as looking the bees articular cavities, the Shooting Brake design now allows two fully grown adults to slide onto the rear bench without the need to snap their spines in two, as we found out with The Management Fleet long termer a few months ago.
Even better, the concept itself though is no motor show static click bait. Fully functioning, the Shooting Brake has even completed a development run at Toyota’s official test track. It might be worth quelling the excitement a little though, since there are no plans at present to bring the concept to production, this design study simply ‘testing the waters’. But bear in mind that’s also what Toyota said about the FT-1 though, and given Mazda’s targa-top MX-5 RF that recently debuted, who knows? Maybe Toyota might be ready to take the next step with the 86 sooner rather than later.
Source – Toyota
